Ribas Negre

You will frequently have heard or read about various wines that the fruit is in the foreground and the ageing notes are in the background. In Ribas Negre, the fruit is certainly in the foreground but the ageing notes are... way off in the background! It's a primary fragrance as open, honest and fresh as you can ever find. Primary doesn't mean a lack of complexity, there should be no confusion about that, it just describes the first impact; the succession of aromas and sensations would take too long to describe, so we'll try to sum up with a visual image: this wine goes extremely well with a good book.

We usually associate wine with food, but some wines pair up better with reading or, to put it simply, are very good company. Ribas Negre, as well as that fruit intensity, has a homely, cosy feel. Among the fruit aromas (of red fruit, befitting the Mantonegro variety, cherries, redcurrants, fresh but nicely-ripe figs), the floral notes, the woodland hints and the minerality — this one is definitely a mineral wine too, and will remind you every now and again of wines from the Priorat — and nuances of oiliness and leather, there is a dry and pleasantly spicy background hidden away, which brings to mind ancient tomes, old library treasures. It's all a question of sensations and everyone will have their own perceptions, but do keep sniffing: leather, balsamic notes, bakery whiffs, chocolate, countryside plants...

Ribas Negre is very juicy on the palate, with an intense yet fluid entry, balanced, with sweet fruit, refreshing, some extremely pleasant tannins and an almost imperceptible touch of caramel on the finish when very young. Pair it up too with the island's typical cuisine: stuffed aubergines or lamb, mushrooms in the autumn, and if you have the chance to go to Mallorca, make sure you visit this winery: it's in a beautiful location, the family is charming and their wines are very good indeed. Three centuries of history, the oldest winery in Mallorca, what more is there to say.